Structural steel assembly and method of producing same



Sept. 15, 1931'. H. NORTON ETAL 1,323,699

STRUCTURAL STEEL ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed March 28. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Spt. 15, 193'1. H. F. NORTON ET AL STRUCTURAL STEEL ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed March 2a. 192 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented sept. 1s. 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HABOLE'F. NORTON, OF NEWPORT NEWS, .AND JAMES W. OWENS, 0F CRADOCK, VIRGINIA STRUCTURAL STEEL ASSEMBLY AND METHOD F PRODCING SAME Application led March 28, 1929. Serial No. 350,764.

This invention relates to a structural steel assembly and more particularly to afmethod of securing together metal plates having stiifener bars thereon. t In the construction of metallic structures,

such as metal ships and barges, tanks, platforms, buildings, or other structures, it is necessary that the side, or top, or bottom plates be rigid to withstand heavy loads and l0 et be as light in weight as possible. It has een common practice therefore to use Istii'ener bars secured to the plates to give necessary. ri idity to the plates. These stiifener bars 1n the past have been secured to the plates after the plates have been assembled in comparatively large assemblies on the ground, or after they have been secured to the framework. It is a difficult task to secure stilener bars to the plates within the confines of the metal structure dueto the framework thereof and other obvious diiculties, and it is dilicult `to handle large assemblies from the ground. Y

It is an object of this invention to provide a structural steel assembly of metallic facing members or plates having stiifener members secured thereto for structures of the above indicated character whereby the stiiener bars may more readily be secured to the plates prior to their assembly, thus greatly facllitating the work, and enabling it to be handled in assemblies of an desired size, even to the extent of a single plate with its stiieners.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of assembling and securing plates having stiffener bars previously secured thereto, the bars being free at their ends and the ends on adjacent plates overlapped and drawn into engagement and welded.

4 It is a further object of this invention to be provide in a structural steel assembly of plates to be welded together, and having stiiener bars previously welded thereto, the means of ad 'ustment of the stiffeners into line a 'that is possible in a riveted structure by the fact that the rivet holes are sliglitly larger than the rivets.

These and further objects will be ap arent from the following description when tallren in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a partiall side elevation of a barge having the side plates thereof secured accordingvto this invention,

ig. 2 is a sectional view 4through the joint 55 of two adjacent plates, tion of arrow a, Fig. 3, Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 shows a broken view of two plates prior to theirv assembly. 60

Referring to the drawings, the facing members or plates 1, as shown in Fig. 1., are assembled to form the siding of a metal barge. Suitable strakes 2 and 3 are provided at the front and bottom and bilge plates 4 at the top. 65 The facing members or plates 1 have horizontal braces or stiifener bars 6 thereon, the ends 7 thereof being overlapped, and the plates 1 being overlapped.

The plates l are first cut to the proper size 7o and shape on the skids Apriorto their assembly. One edge of each plate is then offset as shownat 8 to overlap the ad'acent plate when assembled. The stifener ars 6, which in looking in the directhe illustration are shown as 1% by 31/2 iat 75 bars, are laid on edge on the plates 1 and secured thereto by vwelding as at-9. These bars extendbeyond one edge of the late and terminate short of the opposite en thereof. Each end of each stiliener bar 6 is left free 80 of its plate, that is, is not welded to the plate. In the example shown, a section about 6V inches lon at each end of the bars is left free but it willie obvious that these free ends may .longer or shorter as desired. It will also 85 be obvlous that the particular sizes and shapes of stiffener barsused are immaterial.

The sti'ener bars 6 are secured to the plates ysuch that the bars will preferably be 1n approximate alignment when the plates are as- 9( ment plates are then securely welded together and sembled. Y The free ends '7 of the bars are then bent in opposite directions so that these bent ends will overlap when'the plates are assembled. It is obvious that the bars on one plate may ifdesired be aligned with those on the ne so as to overlap without bending the en The facing members or plates 1 with stiffener bars 6 thus secured thereto are assembled in position with the offset edge of one plate lapping over the edge of the adjacent plate and the stiffener bars 6 overlapped. is obvious that the plates 1 may be merely brought together in a butt joint, and the-ends of the stiffeners 6 also brought together in a butt joint, but the welded lap joint is more easily assembled and is preferred. The'free ends of bars 6 are then drawn into contacting engagement with `one another, being either permanently bent or by suitable clamps. The overlapped the ends 'a of the stiifener bars 6 are welded 'together as at 10 and to the 'adjacent plates.

Thejoint thus formed isV exceedingly rigid and trong and the assembly is great y facilitate It will be obvious that this type of joint may be used with a vertical or horizontal seam, the stifener bars being arranged accordingly, and that it may be and is intended to be used also for the deck plating and bottom plating of a barge. It will also be clear that the jint is not limited to a metal barge but may useful in many other metal structures.

The invention is not limited to the detailed structure as shown except in so far as indicated in the accompanying claims.

1. The method of securing structural plates together at their meeting edges which comprises securing to each plate a. stiffener bar, the ends of the stiilener bars adjacent the meeting edges of the plates being left j free, assembling the plates with the stiiiener y plates together at comprises welding to each plate a stitlener bar, the ends of the stil'ener bars adjacent barsA overlapping, bending the free Vends of the stiffener bars into contacting en agement, and welding the overlapped sti ener bars together. v

2. The method of securing structural plates together at their meeting edges which comprises securing to each plate a stiiener bar, the ends of the stifener bars adj acont the meeting edges ofv the plates being left free, assembling the plates with the stiffener bars overlapping, bending the free ends of the stiffener bars into contacting engagement, and welding the overlapped ends of said bars together and to the assembled plates. l

3. The method of securing structural their meeting edges which t comprises welding the stiffener bars adjacent 'short of the meeting ed merely held in engage- .short of the edge plates together,

'bars to the plates.

bar secured to said plate, the

the meeting edges ofthe plates being left free, off-setting 'the meeting edge of one plate, assembling the plates with the off-set edge of one plate lapped on the edge of the adjacent plate and with the stiifener bars overlapped, drawing the free ends of the stiiener bars in contacting engagement, and welding the overlapped stiiener bars together and the overlapped plates together;

4. Themethod of securing structural plates together at their meeting edges which a stifener bar to each plate, the ends of the meeting ledges of the plates being left free, the stiffener bars extending beyond the meeting edge of one plate and terminating ge of the other plate, assembling the 'plates with the stiii'ener bars overlapping and the plates overlap ing, drawing the overlapped ends of the sti ener bars together, and welding the overlapped stifener bars'together and to the. adjacent plate.

5. The vmethod of' securing structural plates upon the framework of a metal barge or ship which comprises welding to each plate a stifener bar, the ends of the stiil'ener bar adjacent the edges of the plates being left free, said bars projecting beyond the edge of one end of each plate and terminating of the other end of each plate, assembling thereofJ overlapped and the stiifener bars overlapped, drawing the overlapped stifener bars into contact, and welding the overlapped together, and the free ends of the stilfener of securing structural of a metal barge 6. The method plates upon the framework or ship which comprises securing to each.

plate a stil'ener bar while the plates are disassembled and'prior to their attachment to the framework, the ends of the ,stiffener bars adjacent the edges of the plates being left free, assemblingthe plates and securing them to the framework with the ends of the stiifener bars on adjacent plates overlapped, drawing the overlapped ends of the stiffener bars together, and welding these overlapped ends together and to the plates.

7 -A structural steel assembly comprising the combination with a plate, of a stiifener ends of said bar being free and bent in opposite directions away from the plane of the principal portion of the bar.

8. ln a structural steel assembly, the combination with a plate, of stifener bars each secured along the edge of its principal pol'- tion to said plate, the end portions of each bar being free and inclined to the principal portion of the bar.

9. A structural steel vassembly comprising the combination with a plate having an oifset the plates with the edges the overlapped stifi'ener bars portion at one endyof a stiifener bar secured to said plate' with one of its ends extending `to said offset portion and-the other end extending beyond the end of said plate which 45 lies opposite said Offset portion, the end portions of said bar being 'free and bent away from the principalvportion of said bar.

In testimony whereof, we aix our signa.

tures.'

HAROLD F. NORTON. JAMES W. OWENS. 

